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Teachers approve tentative agreement

HALIFAX, Feb. 25 /CNW/ - Nova Scotia's 10,000 public school teachers have
endorsed a tentative agreement reached between the Nova Scotia Teachers Union
and the provincial government on February 6.
In a province-wide electronic vote held Tuesday, February 24, 81 percent
of teachers voted 79 percent in favour of the tentative deal.
The contract will see teachers receiving a 2.9 percent salary increase in
each of the two years of the agreement. The contract will expire on July 31,
2010.
NSTU President Alexis Allen says the agreement addresses issues
identified by teachers across the province, including a definition of the
school day, increases in allowances paid to administrators, enhanced health
plan benefits, and better pay for substitute teachers and beginning teachers.
"Bargaining teams for both sides were able to overcome their differences
and work together to address concerns about the public school system," says
Allen.
The previous teachers' contract expired on July 31, 2008. There have been
17 bargaining sessions held since April 2006 and three days of talks assisted
by a conciliation officer earlier this month.